While working with files, you should know which directory you are using, where your files are storing so on. If you know them, you can easily change the working directories, or even create a subfolders to organise your files. In Python, we have an os module, which contains all the necessary functions to work with file directories. So, in order to work with directory, you have to import this os module.
Python Directory Examples
The following list of examples helps you to understand the available functions, which helps you to work with Python Directory. They are getcwd, chdir, listdir, mikdir, rmdir, and rename function.
Get Current Directory
Python getcwd method returns the current working directory. This example show you the same.
import os print(os.getcwd())
OUTPUT
Python Change Directory
Python getcwd method helps you to change the current directory to a new folder.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
os.chdir('/Users/suresh/Documents')
print(os.getcwd())OUTPUT
Directories and Files list
Python listdir method returns all the files and the subfolders available inside that directory.
import os print(os.getcwd()) print(os.listdir())
OUTPUT
Create a New Directory
Python mkdir method will create a new folder or directory. If you want this directory inside the current working folder then simply specify the folder name otherwise, specify the full path.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
os.mkdir('NewPython')
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
Let me provide the full path so that I can create a folder in a different location. Here, we first created a folder, next we changed the current directory using chdir. Next, listing the files and folders inside that directory using listdir.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
os.mkdir('/Users/suresh/Documents/NewPython')
os.chdir('/Users/suresh/Documents')
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
Rename a File in Python
The File rename function present in the os module helps us to rename an existing files in a directory or even renaming directory. Here, we use this Python rename file function to rename PythonSampleCopy file to Sample1 text file.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
print(os.listdir())
os.rename("PythonSampleCopy.txt", "Sample1.txt")
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
Rename Directory in Python
The rename function that we mentioned above will also rename the directory or folder. Let us use this rename folder function to rename directory FirstFolder to SecondFolder.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
print(os.listdir())
os.rename("FirstFolder", "SecondFolder")
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
Delete a File
A remove file function is used to remove files from a directory. This example uses this file remove function to delete CopyFile.txt file. First, we are listing out the files in current directory. Next, we removed that particular file, and then we are again printing the files in the directory.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
print(os.listdir())
os.remove("CopyFiles.txt")
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
Delete Directory in Python
The rmdir function is used to delete a directory. Here, we used this Python rmdir function to delete the existing SecondFolder.
import os
print(os.getcwd())
print(os.listdir())
os.rmdir("SecondFolder")
print(os.listdir())OUTPUT
